The Doctor and the Therapist
by Denisekay2102
Summary: Sage Juniper Theodore was a hero to many. She is a very gifted therapist who has saved the lives of many with her prowess. But was she an intergalactic, alien-crime fighting hero who has saved lives across the multiverse? Well... no. At least, not yet.


Sage sat in her office, absentmindedly twirling her pen in her hand as she looked over the notes of one of her patient's latest visits.

_Toby Herring - 5th session Age: 31_

_Treatment: Prozac, monthly therapy sessions_

_Diagnosed with depression, struggling to cope after the death of his father 3 months ago. Out of denial and beginning to mourn._

After making a few quick notes to his file, she packed away his papers in his file of her filing cabinet and locked it up for the day. After tidying her desk space, she left her office and made her way back to the lobby.

"You alright there, Theodore?" Sara called to her front from behind the front desk, flipping through the papers on her clipboard. Sara was the manager of the establishment, she was a wise old lady, and highly respecting of her fellow counselors.

Sage attempted to give her a smile, though it may have looked more like a grimace, "Yeah, I'm fine. Therapy really isn't an easy gig though, not that I'd thought it would be but…"

"It's more overwhelming than you thought? Seeing people hurt so bad?" Sara replied, looking at her with a knowing gaze behind her glasses, her chin perched on her knuckles.

"Yeah," Sage conceded, "You pretty much hit the nail on the head."

Sara continued to watch her. Sage had been just about to the leave for the day before Sara called to her, and she got the feeling she still had something else to say to her.

She watched her for a minute more before asking, "Why are you here?"

"I'm sorry?" Sage replied, feeling a bit put off by such a blunt comment.

"Well you're more qualified than any of the other counselors here, me included. You're not just a therapist. You're a licensed psychiatrist, a proper doctor, so why work as a simple therapist?"

Sage looked back at her evenly, "Because I want to. I don't want to just prescribe medication, I want to help people and their problems directly. I want to be a therapist first, and a doctor second."

The smirk on Sara's face only grew as she spoke, before it bloomed into a genuine smile, "You're very kind, Sage, I hope you remember that. Now get out of here, you need your rest."

Sage smiled at the older lady's sass. Giving her a nod of farewell, she took her leave.

* * *

Sage Juniper Theodore, was a 28 year old licensed psychiatrist of just 1 year now. She lived in Savannah, Georgia with her fiancée of 6 months. Despite her qualifications and the work she went through for them, Sage worked primarily as a therapist. She had begun a steady job at the Counseling Services of Georgia just 5 months ago, it was her first time working steadily as a therapist just as she'd desired to. Despite how hard it could be on her psyche, she knew she'd never want any other job.

She sat waiting at a busy one lane road which passed directly through a small brick tunnel, anxious to go home as she watched the other cars completely still in front of her. She bounced her knee impatiently as she waited, deciding that nothing would change in the traffic at hand in a matter of a half of a second, she allowed her eyes to close and let out a yawn before blearily opening them back up.

Oh, how wrong she was on that belief. The traffic had changed, in the sense that, well… there was none. All the cars were… _gone. _Like they had vanished. They couldn't have all left that quickly, if they did she surely would've heard it. And she couldn't have fallen asleep, the sun was in the exact place as before and the sunlight was exact as well. But they couldn't have vanished… _could they?_

It's not like there were any logical answers left.

"_Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." _She thought to herself, she was a well read woman by her own right.

As she snapped herself out of these thoughts and realized something else.

Wind. Or the lack thereof, it was always windy this time of year, and it was just 5 minutes ago. But now, just like the cars, it was gone. The leaves both on the trees next to the road and the ones already on the ground were completely, utterly still. It's as if the world had frozen in place around her.

Oh yeah, and the tunnel was glowing.

...Wait, what?

Yep, it was glowing, an extravagant yellow. But, it didn't hurt to look at, it wasn't garish or lurid despite how bright it appeared. Sage was transfixed on it the minute she noticed it. It felt so unnatural… almost unearthly. Yet despite that, it felt inviting and warm, like it was "calling to her."

It was an effect so strong she knew she had to be closer to it, no matter how much the logical part of her brain was screaming in protest.

She didn't care.

Slowly, she felt her way to the car door handle, pulled it open, and climbed out. All while still staring at the brilliant sight before her. She walked towards it without conscious thought, screw logic, it just feels… right.

She stopped right in front of it. Watching the ebb and flow of the brilliant pale gold mixed with the slightest tendrils of white. Tentatively she reached her hand out, her fingers splayed as she slowly brought it to the surface of the light.

As if just to dumbstruck her even more, her hand vanished inside of it. Not like she just couldn't see it behind the light, no. Like it had completely disappeared again. Confusion-induced fear slowly began to creep into her psyche but before it could make it to the forefront of her mind, that feeling was back again. The feeling of awe mixed with tranquility, like she could trust whatever it was in front of her with all her heart and soul.

And that's just what she did. Lowering her hand back to her side, she closed her eyes and walked calmly forward, right into the illuminated cave.

After that, everything was a daze, as if she had been intoxicated when she entered the tunnel. She felt her feet leaving the ground, and she felt something, perhaps the light that was certainly not just light, touching her. Not in a manner that felt violent or was infelicitous. Rather it wrapped itself around her as if it was her cocoon, enveloping her in it's presence, and lulling her to sleep.

And then it was gone. She was no longer wrapped in the substance nor off the ground. Instead she was laying _on _the ground. Or rather, on pavement. But when she opened her eyes what she saw certainly wasn't Georgia. It seemed like an everyday housing development. Nearly identically designed homes, placed about the same length apart each, and all painted in a plain reddish brown coloring with the same tan and white accents. Nothing you would generally find in the lush, nature rich city of Savannah.

She slowly made her way out of where she was between two of said homes. She scoped out her surroundings to see where the hell she ended up, but still nothing stood out. Except, one thing. Every three houses or so, a United Kingdom flag was waving proudly in the slight breeze.

What.

"Boys, get indoors! Get inside! Get them inside!" Yelled a feeble voice. Sage turned around to find the owner of the voice to be an elderly lady. She was pleading with two young boys and their father.

"What's up with you? They haven't done anything wrong!" Replied the father. He was watching his two sons while they played ball in the front yard.

"It's happening again!"

Well at least that's some sort of familiar territory. Troubled people. Sage approached the disputing voices. The lady stood at the end of the road, in front of the man's yard.

"Hello there, are you two okay?" Sage questioned, coming to stand next to the old woman.

The lady turned to her "The children, they're not safe!"

"They're in the garden!" The man retorted.

"That's what it likes. It likes when they're playing. Get them in, I'm begging."

"Sorry, that's what what likes?" Sage questioned, feeling rather out of the loop currently.

Instead of explaining, the father merely replied "Don't worry about it, Miss, everything's fine!" He told her before escorting the old lady away, "It's all right. I've got my beady eyes on them, Come on."

Though they didn't get far before the boy who had seemed to have been playing goalie, had completely disappeared. One minute he was there, the next he wasn't. It was as if he was never there to begin with.

"_It's the traffic all over again!" Sage whined to herself._

"NO!" The woman yelled.

The man ran back to his yard, "Tom?!"

"What are you?!" The woman yelled into the air.

However he seemed keen to ignore this, "Where's he gone?"

"What do you want with our children?!" The woman wailed.

* * *

Presently forgetting her own situation due to seemingly more pressing matters, Sage had been walking on the sidewalk with the elder lady she now knew as Maeve, in an attempt to console her.

After calming down Maeve had explained to her that children have been vanishing right in front of their eyes all week. More than that, no one had a clue just how it could happen, let alone who, or what, took them.

"I just don't understand, Sage, what does it want with our children? What is it?!" Maeve asked, sounding desperate for answers, understably so.

"I wish I knew Maeve, I can only imagine the pain you're all going through right now. But I don't understand it in the least."

Soon enough they crossed paths with a young-looking blonde woman and a man who, given the vest, appears to be a construction worker of some sort.

"Sage!" The blonde woman exclaims throwing her arms around her, "Thank goodness you're here!"

She pulled away and saw, to her surprise, a very confused and slightly stunned Sage.

"Uhm, I-I'm sorry, have we met before?" Sage asked her. She was starting to wonder if the whole universe was playing a gigantic trick on her.

The blonde stared at her for a moment, before the confusion on her face slowly faded as she looked her up and down. "O-oh, gosh. Umm... how old are you?"

Sage stared at her incredulously, "What?"

"I know, I know. But please. Just tell me your age."

There was something serious, almost urgent in her expression that made Sage concede, "I'm 29."

And there was that look again. The look of utter shock and… awe? But it faded slightly as the woman attempted to hide it. "R-right. Well I'm Rose Tyler.. It's nice to.. Meet you."

_Sounds like you already have_.

"Yeah, me too. I'm Sage Theodore, but I guess you already knew that." _Somehow. _

"Yeah.. yeah, I did." Rose replied, laughing nervously before clearing her throat.

The man in the vest stared between the two girls before saying, "Well anyway, every car cuts out. The council are going nuts. I mean, they've given this street the works. Renamed it. I've been tarmacking every pothole." He states with a hint of pride, gesturing to the street they were standing on, "Look at that. Beauty, init? Yeah! And all that is because that Olympic Torch comes right by the end of this Close. Just down there. Everything's got to be perfect, ain't it? Only it ain't" He ends solemnly.

"It takes 'em when they're playing." Maeve interjected.

"What takes them?" Rose asked, sounding pensive .

"Danny, Jane, Dale, snatched in the blink of an eye!" Maeve told her.

Their conversation was interrupted by Tom's father seemingly forcing a man off his property by the force of his glare alone. "I am a, I'm a police officer! That's what I am!" The man claimed, "I've got a badge and a police car. You don't have to get- I can, I can prove it. Just hold on." He began digging furiously through the pockets of his long brown coat, though the other man seemed unconvinced to say the least.

"We've had plenty of coppers pokin' 'round here and you don't look or sound like any of 'em." He replied, pointing his finger at him accusingly.

Despite this he seemed stubbornly determined to prove his claim, gesturing to Rose next to him, "See, look I've got a colleague, Lewis," Rose gave an authoritative nod in confirmation. He then noticed Sage observing him curiously, he smiled slightly pulling her next to him and Rose, "And my other colleague, Jones."

_Oh. So I guess I know this one too. _Sage thought. Truthfully, she was just trying to keep this discord in the back of her mind, because chances are she would end up having a breakdown the minute she thought any of iit through.

Tom's father stared in between the two women before gesturing to Sage, "Well her maybe," He said, before turning to Rose, "But she looks less like a copper than you do."

"Training, new recruit. It was either that or hairdressing, so, voila!" He exclaims, brandishing what must have been his identification at him.

"What are you going to do?" Asked a new lady.

"The police have knocked on every door. No clues, no leads, nothing." Maeve added.

"Look kids run off sometimes, all right? That's what they do." Tom's father told her, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Saw it with me own eyes." Maeve countered, "Dale Hicks in your garden, playing with your Tommy, and then pfft! Right in front of me, like he was never there. There's no need to look any further than this street. It's right here amongst us!"

"Why don't we-" The man in the long coat started before being quickly interrupted.

"Why don't we start with him?" A red-headed woman said, pointing at Kel, "There's been all sorts like him in this street, day and night."

Kel looked highly offended, "Fixing things up for the Olympics!"

"Yeah, and taking an awful long time about it." Tom's dad agreed.

The man in the coat tried again to get his point across, "I'm of the opinion that all we've gotta do is-"

"What you just said, that's slander!" Kel replied.

"I think we need to just-"

"I want an apology off her!"

"Stop picking on him." Maeve snapped.

"Yeah, stop picking on me!" Kel agreed.

"And stop pretending to be blind, it's evil."

The redhead spoke up again, "I don't believe in evil."

"Oh no! You just believe in tarmackers with sack-loads of kidnapped kiddies in their vans!" Kel retorted.

_What a friendly neighbourhood._

Tom's father piped up again, "Hey, hey, that's not what she's saying!"

"Would you stop gangin' up on me?"

"Feeling guilty are we?" The redhead asked him.

"_Fingers on lips!_" The man in the coat finally exclaimed. Each of the bickering citizens slowly complied before he turned Rose and Sage expectantly, both of them bringing their index fingers to their lips as well. "In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen, snatched out of thin air, right?"

"Uhh, can I?" Maeve asked, gesturing to her mouth as the man nodded his consent, "Look around you, this was a safe street til it came. It's not a person," She spat. "I'll say it if no one else will. Maybe your coppers, maybe your not. I don't care who you are. Can you please help us?"

After that the small crowd that had gathered gradually dispersed, leaving the three of them alone. The man turned to Sage with a smile, "RIght then!" He exclaimed making a move to greet her properly but was stopped by Rose.

"Doctor, this is her first time." She told him simply.

He looked confused, "Her first time what?"

"Like at all, her first adventure, she's only 29." She elaborated.

He seemed to catch on, "Ohhhh." He said simply, staring at her with a wondered look.

Slower this time, he came to stand in front of her, "Hello." He said to her.

"Hello." She said back, studying him inquisitively. His medium brown hair laid in disarray on his head, and the buttons of his dress shirt and suit jacket had appeared undone, and she wasn't even going to start on his shoe situation.

"I guess we haven't quite met yet. I'm the Doctor." He told her gently.

Sage only stared at him. Oh the universe was definitely screwing with her. "That's it? Just the Doctor?"

"Just the Doctor."

Sage scoffed slightly but smiled in spite of herself, "Well in that case I'm Doctor. Sage Theodore, nice to meet you." She lifted her hand which he gladly shook.

"Oh, trust me, the pleasure's all mine." He told her, "Now come on, we've got work to do." And with that he bounded away with Rose in tow, leaving Sage to trail after them at her own pace.

The three continue to sniffing around the front yard of Tom's house, literally, in the Doctor's case.

"Want a hanky?" Rose asked him.

"Can you two smell it? What does it remind you of?" He asked them.

Sage twitched her nose slightly at the scent, it was rather metallic in her opinion.

"Sort of… metal?" Rose replied.

"Mhmm." The Doctor replied as they continued their investigation.

They made their way between two of the backyards as they searched.

"Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other." The Doctor mused, "Whoa, there it goes again! Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand." He told them, lifting his hand up in the process, though quickly putting it back down as he realized neither of them were looking at his 'manly hairy hand'.

"And there's that metallic scent again." Sage commented.

"Yeah, it's like a burnt fuse plug or something." Rose agreed.

"There's a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished. Whatever it was, it used an awful lot of power to do this."

The three continued their search wandering up and down the houses of the street corner, that is until Rose got distracted by the presence a ginger cat.

"Oh you beautiful boy!" She cooed.

"Thanks! I've been experimenting with backcombing." The Doctor replied cheerily, before he noticed where Rose's attention was actually drawn. "Oh."

"I used to have one like you." Rose remarked to the cat.

She turned back towards back to Sage and the Doctor, the ladder of which was holding a rather deep frown, "What?" She asked him.

"No. I'm not really a cat person. Once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, kinda takes the joy out of it."

_Don't question it, Sage. Just… don't._

The cat continues prancing along, strutting inside a discarded cardboard box.

"Come here, puss. What do you want to go in there for?"

Rose flipped said box around to find it completely empty, the cat gone.

"Doctor." She called.

He turns his head at her call and promptly walks over, picking up the box. "Whoa hoo hoo, iron residue, blimey! That takes some doing. Just to snatch a living organism out of space-time. This baby is just like, I'm having some of that! I'm impressed." He states.

"So the cat's been transported?" Rose asked, trying to make sense of whatever the Doctor just said.

"It can harness huge reserves of ionic power." He explained, "We need to find the source of that power. Find the source and you will find whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see, keep 'em peeled, Lewis. Jones, with me." He said, tugging Sage over by the wrist as Rose stayed to investigate the yard.

"So then," The Doctor started, "We've, err… never met before?" He asked ineloquently.

"Nope, I've never seen you before in my life. But aside from that, I-I don't even know where I am." This caused her to stop in her tracks, it being one of the thoughts she's been forcing to stay in the back of her mind.

He stopped as well, turning to stand in front of her so they were face to face, "You're in Dame Kelly Holmes Close in… England, 2012." He answered simply, watching her closely as if to gauge her reaction.

Sage merely stared at him as if he had suddenly sprouted a third eye on his head, "But I can't be, 2012 was years ago and I'm from US." She replied, giggling and smiling as she stated it, just like people do when they're desperate to keep hold on their sanity.

"That you are, Doctor. Theodore, but not anymore I'm afraid." He tentatively placed his hands on her shoulders to comfort her, "I'm sorry Sage, I really am, but I'm afraid your life is going to be drastically different from here on out and you'll have to come to terms with that." He told her softly, rubbed her upper arm lightly with his thumbs.

Sage didn't reply, verbally or physically, she simply stared at him for a few more seconds finding no hint of a joke or trick in his eyes, only complete honesty. She wasn't sure why, but she trusted him and she believed him. And that terrified her. She wanted to scream, to run and hide. But what good would that do? It wouldn't get her out of here, it wouldn't send her home.

So she did the one thing she couldn't restrain herself from doing. Cry. It wasn't in her nature to cry often, and most definitely not around people she's only just met. But she just couldn't help it. Small, hot tears slowly fell down her cheeks.

The Doctor hesitantly reached for her, tugging her to him by her upper back. Despite not returning the affection, she yielded no resistance, merely burying her face in his shoulder for comfort. He didn't bother trying to console her, it would more than likely fall on deaf ears. There was no consoling someone in her situation, even with how well, all things considered, she was handling it. Many people yell or shout, their fear moulding itself into temporary anger. Others would deny the situation entirely and call it a dream, or a hallucination even, anything that didn't mean 'reality'. But not Sage. She was too smart for that, she always will be.

He was brought out of his musing by Sage gently tugging herself away from him, her sobs having ceased. She stared blankly at the ground, as if embarrassed to let her emotions out like that, even if it was completely warranted.

"Thank you." She murmured.

He merely nodded, "I'd love to stay here and chat, but I think we should keep searching, hm?" He lightly replied.

Sage nodded, "Yeah, sorry."

"Don't be, it's quite understandable in your case." He told her with a faint smirk before striding forward.

The two walked in a comfortable silence before Sage eventually spoke up, "So… what about my life will be altered so drastically?"

"Well you'd be better off asking what wouldn't change. Nearly everything, Sage. In one way or another everything about your life, and you, will change sooner or later."

Sage felt the tears welling up again, and the tightening of her throat but she fought it off. Crying won't change the situation at hand, and now is not the time to be getting emotional. Not while children were going missing.

"Okay." She answered.

"Though, one thing you really should know since you won't really know when it happens. You have this thing… where you sort of… jump…"

"...What?"

The Doctor awkwardly scratched the back of his neck before stopping in his tracks and turning to Sage. He once again lightly placed his hand on her bicep before continuing, "You jump through time, Sage. You jump through my life at random. I can't explain it, and it probably sounds insane, but trust me on it."

Sage stared back at him, feeling hopeless that'd she understand any of what her supposed life was going to be like, "So, I'm a... time traveler?"

The serious look on the Doctor's face immediately vanished into a stupidly bright grin, "Yes, yes you are, Sage Theodore."

The two continued their search, Sage slowly processing the information she was given to the best of her abilities. Rounding the next corner at just the right time to find Rose on the ground being ambushed by a… black tumbleweed? Sage had no idea.

The Doctor was on it immediately, shrinking the specimen to fit in Rose's palm with what looked to be some sort of laser device. He helped her up, the two sharing a tight hug before they began to study the creature before Sage came to stand at Rose's side.

"I'll give either of you a fiver if you can tell me what the hell it is, 'cause I haven't got the foggiest." The Doctor remarked, poking it lightly with the same device.

"Well I can tell you've just killed it." Rose replied.

"It was never living." He replied. "It's animated by energy. Same energy that's snatching people. That is so dinky!" He remarked brightly, grabbing it from Rose and cheerily tossing it in the air, "The go anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket, makes friends, impresses the boss, breaks the ice at parties." He mused, stuffing the ball into his pocket.

"C'mon then, Sage. It's time for your last shock of the day." The Doctor told her, before walking away Rose following shortly behind after giving Sage a knowing smirk.

Well sure, seeing a public police call box sitting proudly in an unassuming 2012 street was… strange. But Sage was not so sure she would go so far as to say it was a "shock."

"Okayyy," She drawled, trying to piece together just what exactly they had brought her here for, "Is that a monument or something?"

Sage did indeed like history, and an antique police box in this day and age was genuinely amazing. But at the Doctor telling her she would be 'shocked' she had perhaps set her standards too high.

Rose, still with that knowing smile, looped her around arm through Sage's and led her to the front doors of the box where the Doctor was leaning against it. "Nope. Not a monument." Rose quipped in response.

"Then, what is it?"

The Doctor smirked, and pushed one of the doors ajar. "See for yourself."

Sage merely stared at him before peering at the crevice of light shining through the gap of the door, it was an eerily similar color to the one she saw in that bridge. And once again, it had her complete attention and she delicately placed her hand flat on the door before pushing it fully open and taking her first step inside.

She immediately halted in the doorway.

_Not a real police box. Certainly not a real police box._

Instead what saw was far too large to be inside of a telephone box. An expansive dome-shaped room was what was in front of her instead. It had a circular ceiling which held small hexagon accents placed symmetrically atop it, which appeared to be held in place by the six strategically placed pillars in the shape of coral formations. The floor they were planted to was a brown grated platform just above the actual flooring and the small grated staircase in front of her led to the most eye-catching part of the room. A large console of some sort sat just above a second level of grating housing a simple cylindrical rotor which was proudly glowing a pale shade of aqua which mixed kindly with golden glow the rest of the room was giving off. From the top of the rotor an abundance of cords hung from the ceiling like the vines of a jungle.

It was extraordinary.

"Ho- how…." Sage managed to stutter out, attempting to catch the breath she lost the moment she opened the deep blue door.

"Oh, you'll learn soon enough." The Doctor replied easily slowly coming to stand behind her, "Do you like it?" He quipped.

Sage let out a shaky breath smiling in disbelief, "I do, I really do."

The Doctor beamed at her before bounding up to the center console pulling the little black item out of his pocket. "Now let's see what this little fella is."

Sage made no move to follow him, still stuck in a trance. Rose lightly grabbed her arm, causing her distracted form to immediately jerk around to face her.

"Sorry." Rose said shyly, "I just wanted to make sure you're okay… sometimes all of this.. can be a bit much the first time."

Sage was, "But it's beautiful, how can I not be okay?"

Rose smiled back and nodded, walking over to the Doctor. He was holding the black ball into the air, observing it curiously.

"It can't be." He muttered, pulling a pencil out of his suit jacket before rubbing the eraser against the ball, all three of them watching as it disappeared with the contact.

"It's graphite." He stated. "Basically the same material as an HB pencil."

Rose just stared at him, "I was attacked by a… pencil scribble?"

"Scribble creature," The Doctor replied. "Brought into being with bionic energy. Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But why make scribble creature?" He questioned, screwing up his face with confusion.

Sage stayed silent, feeling highly out of her depth. She didn't know where she was. She didn't know what was making things vanish out of thin air. She certainly didn't know how she was standing in a room that was far bigger on the inside compared to the outside.

"Maybe it was a mistake. I mean you scribble over something when you want to get rid of it, like a, like a drawing. A child's drawing," Rose replied, trailing off slightly before continuing. "You said it was in the street."

"Probably." The Doctor replied.

"The girl."

"Of course!" The Doctor yelled before realizing he had no idea what she was talking about, "What girl?"

"Something about her gave me the creeps, even her own Mum looked scared of her."

He stared back at her in mild surprise, "Are you deducting?"

"I think I am." She answered, almost coquettishly.

"Copper's hunch?"

"Permission to follow it up, Sarge?"

Sage merely stared between the two impassively. After 9 years of education on human emotion, it certainly didn't take effort for her to realize just what could potentially be between the two.

* * *

The trio stood in the front yard of the home of the strange girl Rose had a "copper's hunch" about. Given ringing the doorbell heeded no reply they instead resorted to merely knocking which _did_ heed an answer.

The lady who answered appeared to be middle-aged, and had a kind aura to her despite seeming rather stressed.

"Hello," The Doctor greeted cheerily, "I'm the Doctor, she's Dr. Theodore, and this is Rose. Can we see your daughter?"

"No." The woman replied, clearly put off by such a request.

"Okay. Bye." He answered just as cheerily, as the three made their leave.

"Why?" The woman asked, causing them all to turn back towards her, "Why do you want to see Chloe?"

"Well there's some interesting stuff going on in the street, and I just thought. Well, we thought, she might like to give us a hand." He explained.

"Sorry to bother you." Rose told her.

"Yeah, sorry. We'll let you get on with things… on your own. Bye again." The Doctor said.

Sage gave a wave of farewell before making her leave with the Doctor and Rose again.

"Wait!" The lady called again, catching their attention again, "Can you help her?" She asked, mainly to the Doctor and Sage.

The Doctor smiled proudly, "Yes, we can."

* * *

"She stays in her room most of the time," The woman now known as 'Trish' explained, "I try talking to her, but it's like trying to speak to a brick wall. She gives me nothing, just asks to be left alone."

"What about her father?" Sage asked from her spot next Rose on Trish's couch, curious if the other parent has gotten through to 'Chloe' at all.

"Chloe's dad died a year ago." Trish responded dispassionately.

Sage nodded, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"You wouldn't say that if you'd known him." She answered coldly.

"Well let's go and say hi." The Doctor piped up from where he was leaning against the back wall, anxious to see just what may be so wrong with this girl.

"I should check on her first," Trish quickly replied, "She might be asleep."

The Doctor merely stared at her, "Why are you so afraid of her, Trish?"

"I want you to know before you see her that she's really a great kid."

"I'm sure she is."

"You should see her report from last year, A's and B's."

Rose then spoke up as well, "Can I use your loo?"

Trish nodded, so Rose got to her feet and exited the room.

"She's in the choir," Trish continued to the Doctor and Sage, "She's singing in an old folk's home, any mum would be proud. I want you both to know these things before you see her, Doctors, because right now she's not herself."

As she says they all direct their attention to noise in the kitchen to find Chloe herself.

"All right there?" The Doctor said, approaching Chloe slowly, "I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm Dr. Theodore… Hi." Sage greeted calmly.

"I'm Chloe Webber." Chloe answered.

Sage was quickly notice her peculiar mannerisms. A child of her age was not one to act so… stoic.

"How're you doing, Chloe Webber?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm busy. I'm makin' something, aren't I, Mum?" She responded.

"And like I said she's not been sleeping." Trish added.

"We heard that you like to draw, Chloe." Sage added, "Wish I could draw, never been my strong-suit."

"Me neither, I'm rubbish. Stick men are about my limit." He said to Sage before turning to Chloe, "Can do this though." He remarked, holding up a Vulcan salute. "Can you do that?" He asked her.

She only continued to stare blankly back at him, "They don't stop moaning."

"Chloe-." Trish started softly.

"I try to help them, but they don't stop moaning." Chloe continued.

The Doctor quickly sobered up, lowering his hand. "Who don't?"

"We can be together."

"Sweetheart." Trish sighed approaching her daughter distraughtly in attempt to comfort her.

"Don't touch me, Mum." She warned in the same monotone before turning back to Sage and the Doctor. "I'm busy, Doctors." She told them before making her leave.

"Well can't we see what you're so busy with?" Sage offered helplessly.

"Exactly, Chloe, don't be a spoilsport. What's the big project? We're dying to know, what you're makin' up there."

Though she had turned her attention back to them they didn't quite have the chance to know what she would have said.

"DOCTOR!" Rose yelled from somewhere on the second floor sending the Doctor, Sage, Trish, and even Chloe up the stairs and to Chloe's bedroom where Rose to be staring blankly into her closet before the Doctor pulled her out of it and shoved the doors shut. "Look at it." She told him.

"No, ta." He responded simply before going to inspect the plethora of drawings on Chloe's walls.

"What the hell was that?" Trish asked when she made her way in the room.

"A drawing. The face of a man." Rose replied.

"What face?" Trish asked, moving to open the closet once again before she was stopped by Rose.

"Best not." She told her.

"What've you been drawing?" Trish asked Chloe.

"I drew him yesterday." Chloe answered.

"Who?"

"Dad."

"Your dad?" Trish asked confusedly, "But he's long gone. Chloe with all the lovely things in the world, why him?"

"I dream about him, staring at me."

"I thought we were putting him behind us. What's the matter with you?" She sounded distraught.

"We need to stay together." replied Chloe. Her tone had changed, nearly inaudibly, a slight hint of emotion in it which was easy for Sage to pick up.

"Yes, we do." Trish said.

"No. Not you. Us. We need to stay together and then it will be alright."

Trish moved to comfort her once again, cupping her cheeks in her palms before Chloe flinched away from the contact.

"Trish, the drawings. Have you seen what Chloe's drawings can do?" Rose asked.

"Who gave you permission to come into her room?" Trish demanded, attempting to regain her composure despite the shake in her voice. "Get out of my house."

"Tell us about the drawings, Chloe." The Doctor asked.

"I don't want to hear any more of this." Trish warned.

"But that drawing of her Dad, I heard a voice. He spoke."

"He's dead." Trish shot back, before gesturing with her thumb to the wall filled with Chloe's drawings, "And these, their kids pictures, now get out." She demanded.

"Chloe has a power." Rose told her gently, "And I don't know how, but she's used it to take Danny Edwards, Dale Hicks. She's using it to snatch the kids."

"Get out." Trish repeated.

"Have you seen those drawings move?" She asked lightly.

"I haven't seen anything!" Trish exclaimed.

"Yes, you have," The Doctor countered, "Out of the corner of your eye."

"No." She retorted.

"And you dismissed it, because what choice do you have when you see something you can't possibly explain?" The Doctor said, approaching her to look her in the eyes "You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry, so it's never spoken of, ever again."

"She's a child." Trish tried to reason.

"And you're terrified of her. But there's nowhere to turn, because who's gonna believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except me."

"Who are you?" Trish asked, the edge in her voice dissolved.

"I'm help."

* * *

The three left Chloe to herself in her room, pacing around the kitchen each contemplating the situation they were in.

Or situations in Sage's case.

She perked up at the sound of Rose loudly clearing her throat, following her gaze to find the Doctor with a jar of marmalade in his right hand and two fingers of his other hand in his mouth, awkwardly staring in between an annoyed Rose and a very confused Sage before putting his hand down and the jar back on the counter.

"Those pictures, they're alive. She's drawing people and they end up in her pictures." Rose mused.

"Ionic energy. Chloe's harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kind of holding pen of ionic energy." The Doctor explained.

"And what about the dad from Hell in her wardrobe?"

Trish chose that time to speak up, "How many times do I have to tell you? He's dead."

"Well he's got a very loud voice for a dead bloke." She mumbled to Sage, causing her to smile in amusement.

"If living things can become drawings, then maybe drawings can become living things" The Doctor said vaguely before quite literally shaking the thought away. "Chloe's real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares. That dad seems very real. That's the dad she's drawn and he's a heartbeat away from crashing into this world."

"She always got the worst of it when he was alive." Trish added.

"Doctor, how can a twelve year old girl be doing any of this?" Rose asked.

"And what would she be doing it for?" Sage added.

"Let's find out." He replied, striding out of the kitchen.

The three enter Chloe's room to find her sitting cross-legged in the center of her bed. She eyes the Doctor before giving him the Vulcan salute.

"Nice one." He commented. He knelt to be level with her, delicately placing his hands on either side of her face, putting her to sleep. He gently laid her back on her bed, "There we go." He said calmly.

"I can't let him do this." Trish started, before Rose stopped her.

"Shh, it's okay. Trust him." She comforted.

"Now we can talk." The Doctor said.

"I want Chloe. Wake her up. I want Chloe." 'Chloe', demanded in a whispery tone.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked.

"I want Chloe Webber." They whispered.

"What've you done to my little girl?" Trish exclaimed.

Rose interjected calmly, "Doctor, what is it?"

"I'm speaking to you, the entity that is using this human child. I request parley in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation." The Doctor declared.

The creature was unfazed, "I don't care about shadows or parleys."

"So what do you care about?"

"I want my friends."

The Doctor than switched his tactics, coming to kneel beside Chloe's bed, his voice passive. "You're lonely, I know. Identify yourself."

"I am one of many. I travel with my brothers and sisters. We take an endless journey. A thousand of your lifetimes. But now I am alone. I hate it. It's not fair, and I hate it." Though still a whisper, their voice had pained and angered as they spoke of their despair.

The Doctor however wasn't falling for a sob story and was growing impatient, "Name yourself." he demanded.

"Isolus."

"You're Isolus, of course." He mumbled

They began to sketch once on a pile of papers that were sitting on Chloe's bed. "Our journey began in the Deep Realms when we were a family."

"What's that?" Trish asked, gesturing to the paper.

"The Isolus Mother, drifting in deep space." Said Mother bared a strong resemblance to a tropical flower, with long, delicate tails where a stem would be. "See, she jettisons millions of fledgling spores. Her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotions, but when they're cast off from their mother, their empathic link, their need for each other, is what sustains them. They need to be together. They cannot be alone."

"Our journey is long." The Isolus stated, still drawing.

"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod." The Doctor explained. "They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. It takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up."

"Thousands of years just floating through space. Poor things. Don't they go mad with boredom?" Rose spoke up.

"We play." The Isolus answered.

"You play?" She questioned.

"While they travel, they play games. They use their ionic power to literally create make believe worlds in which to play." The Doctor told her.

Sage could only gawk at this as Rose replied, "In-flight entertainment."

"Helps keep them happy. While they're happy they can feed off each others love. Without it, they're lost." He then turned back to the Isolus. "Why did you come to Earth?"

"We were too close." They responded, beginning a new picture.

"That's a solar flare from your sun." The Doctor stated, staring at the drawing. "Would have made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods."

"Only I fell to Earth. My brothers and sisters are left up there and I cannot reach them."

"Your pod crashed. Where is it?"

"My pod was drawn to heat, and I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me, alone. She needed me, and I her."

"You empathised with her." He said softly, stroking her head lightly to comfort her, "You wanted to be with her because she was alone like you."

"I want my family. It's not fair."

"I understand, you want to make a family. But you can't stay in this child, it's wrong. You can't steal any more friends for yourself."

"I am alone." They repeated before a crash was heard from behind Rose, Sage, and Trish.

The three whirled around to find Chloe's closet glowing a sinister shade of orange, the white wooden doors rattling and shaking.

"I'm coming to hurt you." A malevolent voice called. "I'm coming."

The three turned back to find Chloe shaking and convulsing on her bed. "Trish," The Doctor called, "How do you calm her?"

"What?" Trish replied.

"When she has nightmares what do you do?" He elaborated.

"I sing to her."

"Then start singing." He got up from the bed, gesturing for Trish to sit with Chloe while he went to stand next to Rose and Sage.

"Chloe, I'm coming." The voice snarled.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry, merry king of the bush is he." She stared nervously.

"Chloe."

"Kookaburra laugh!"

"Chloe! Chloe! Chloe!"

"Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

With that, Chloe is fast asleep and the wardrobe, and its coloring, are silent.

Trish stroked her daughter lightly, "It came to her because it was lonely." Her voice cracked, sounding close to tears. "Chloe, I'm sorry."

* * *

With Trish finally compliant about the truth of her daughter's situation, the three set to work confiscating all her pencils to render her unable to snatch anyone else.

"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper when he'd had a drink." Trish explained to them, "The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over."

"Have you ever talked to her about it?" Sage asked, watching as Rose handed Trish handed her another pile of pencils.

"I didn't want to." She answered quickly, walking away from her.

"Well, with all due respect, Ms. Webber, that may be why Chloe feels so lonely right now. She's still afraid of her father, but she thinks she can't talk to you about it." Sage informed her lightly.

"Her and the Isolus." The Doctor mused, "Two lonely kids who need each other."

"And it won't stop, will it Doctor?" Rose piped up. "It'll just keep pulling kids in."

"It's desperate to be loved. It's used to a pretty big family."

Rose stared at him, "How big?"

"Say around... Four billion."

The three were once again in the TARDIS, assisting the Doctor in creating a device fit to home in on the Isolus' crashed pod. Sage was absentmindedly pacing back and forth as the Doctor gambolled around the console, creating his homing gadget.

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you. How?" Rose asked him from her place on the jumpseat.

The Doctor lightly shoved her off the seat and plopped down on it before replying, "I know what's it like to travel a long way on your own. Gimme the styner-magnetic-" He began to ask, though quickly gave up at Rose's less than comprehending face, "Thing in your left hand." She handed it over.

"Sounds like your on its side." She commented, in a not-so peachy tone.

"I sympathize, that's all."

"The Isolus had caused a lot pain for these people."

"It's only a kid, Rose. I doubt it knows any better." Sage told her.

"Exactly, Sage. That's why it went to Chloe, two lonely mixed up kids." The Doctor added.

Rose looked between the two before directing her attention to the machine part in her hand, toying with it absently. "Feels to me like a temper tantrum 'cause it can't get its own way."

"It's scared!" The Doctor reprimanded, "Come on, you were a kid once. Binary dot, Sage."

Sage handed the literal 'dot' over to him.

"Yes, and I know what kids can be like." She retorted. "Right little… terrors."

The Doctor gave no reply, merely focusing on his device. "Gum." He requested, holding his palm out.

Rose spit said item out onto his hand. "I've got cousins. Kids can't have it all their own way. That's part of being a family."

"What about trying to understand them? Like Sage here is."

"Easy for you two to say, you don't have kids." Rose answered, turning away from them.

"I was a dad once." The Doctor replied, surprising both Sage and Rose.

However, while Rose was primarily was stuck on the entire idea and implications of such a statement, Sage was more curious about his word choice.

"_I __**was**__ a dad once."_

"What did you say?" Rose asked, in a nearly pleaful tone.

Yet, whether purposefully or too distracted due to his gadget the Doctor gave no reply. "I think we're there!" He exclaimed, bouncing off the chair. "Fear, loneliness, they're the big ones. Some of the most terrible acts ever committed have been inspired by them. We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy." He told them, clearly very intent on helping this child.

"There's a lot of things you need to get across this universe; warp drive, wormhole refractors, you know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold." The Doctor continued.

While the Doctor was talking, Rose was pointing blankly at the console monitor, patiently waiting to catch his attention.

The Doctor eventually did, he happily grabbed onto her outstretched hand.

"No, no, I'm pointing." Rose corrected, not even bothering to hold in her laughter.

The Doctor took a quick look to said monitor, "It's the pod!" He yelled, "It is in the street."

He turned to the two women with a cheeky smile, "Everything's coming up Doctor." He said, playfully bumping Rose with his shoulder while sending Sage a cheery wink.

* * *

So one thing leads to another and before you know it one of your only two acquaintances in your new dimension is erased from existence by an extraterrestrial orphan as well the entire audience of the Olympic stadium.

Ya know, just your average Wednesday.

Rose had been lucky enough to find where the Isolus' pod had landed, but neither her nor Sage knew just how to charge it.

Now Sage, Rose, Kel, and Trish were all in Chloe's room, trying to stop from attempting to erase the Earth itself from existence.

Oh how Sage wished that was a joke.

Rose picked up one of the many drawings scattered about the room, depicting the Doctor standing beside the TARDIS pointing towards the Olympic torch, "She didn't draw that, he did. But it needs more than heat, Doctor."

Sage studied the picture in Rose's hand, trying to deduce why the Doctor would draw it in the first place before turning her attention back to Rose.

Sage stared at her, confused. Something about what she said not sitting right with her.

Well let's see, the Olympic torch is a source of heat just like the Isolus needs, but it needs more than heat. It needs love and care.

The Olympics were an honored and care for event.

Wait.

Oh.

"Oh… I think I get it." Sage felt the newfound adrenaline rushing through her as she took the pod from Rose's hand. "Don't worry, I've got this one!" She exclaimed, before bounding out of the house and onto the street.

"Sage, what the hell are you-" Rose made a move to chase after her before she heard the announcer once again.

"_I suppose it's much more than a torch now, it's a beacon. It's a beacon of hope and fortitude and courage. And it's a beacon of love."_

And suddenly she understood. "She knows how to charge up the pod." She said simply.

Sage charged down the street, Kel and Rose following close behind her as she began pushing her way to the front of the crowd of people. Leaning over the fence she spots the Torch Bearer making his way over. The pod began to jitter and twitch in her palm. "You can feel it can't you? All that love? You have to go get it. Can you do that for me?" Sage stroked the pod slightly with her thumb before throwing it into the air as far and high as she can. It spun and twirled around and around before flying right into the torch.

Sage took a deep breath before she began to laugh in delight, jumping up and down before Kel excitedly hugged her, her gladly returning the gesture.

Afterwards, she was nearly thrown backwards by Rose throwing her arms around her, squeezing her tightly. "That was amazing! You're brilliant you've _always _been brilliant, Sage!" Rose jumped up and down with her and spun them around before they finally pulled apart, giggling and smiling at each other.

"Thanks, Rose. Wasn't half bad, was is it?" She quipped.

Rose laughed, "No, not bad at all."

Together they watched as the missing children were brought back and reunited with their families. While Sage was still quite proud and smiling brightly, Rose's mood had faded noticeably.

"I don't know who you are, or what you did, but thank you, darling!" The elder lady they had met much earlier told Sage, giving her a kiss on her cheek, "And thank that man for me too!" She exclaimed before walking off.

"Where is he?" Rose piped up from beside her, half to Sage half to herself, staring at the people around them. "All the drawings came to life."

Sage smiled, "Yeah, they did so he-"

"And that means all of them." Rose interrupted, staring up at Chloe's bedroom window which was currently emanating the familiar sinister red.

"Oh no." They said in unison, before taking off towards the house.

"Trish, get out!" Rose yelled, banging on the door.

"I can't, the door's stuck!" She yelled back, desperately shaking the door handle.

"Is the Doctor in there?" Rose yelled.

"I don't think so." She yelled back.

"He's not going to be in there!" Sage told her.

"Mommy!" Chloe whimpered.

"Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you!" Chloe's 'father' exclaimed.

"Please, Dad, no more!" Chloe begged.

"_Chloe_." He growled.

"Chloe, listen to me. It's not real like the others. It's just energy left over by the Isolus but you can get rid of it!"

"Help us!" Trish screamed.

"Oh, it's because you're so scared that he's real. But you can get shot of him, Chloe!"

"Mummy!" Chloe whimpered again.

"You can do it, Chloe."

"I can't." She replied.

"Trish she's scared, this is like her own nightmare! You have to calm her, comfort her!" Sage yelled.

"_I'm coming_." He snarled again.

"I'm with you, Chloe." The two heard Trish say, "You're not alone. You'll never be alone again."

"Sing again! Chloe sing!" Rose nearly screeched, still desperately banging on the door.

"_Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you. Chloe!" _

"Merry merry king of the bush is he. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

"_No. No! NO!" _He growled.

And with that the red glow disappeared, as did the nightmare of Chloe's father.

Rose and Sage both collapsed against the door, both utterly exhausted in both the same and different ways.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry merry king of the bush is he. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

Sage closed her eyes, catching her breath before she heard a familiar voice in front of them.

"Maybe he's gone somewhere."

Sage opened her to find Kel standing in front of them, attempting to comfort Rose.

Rose stared down at her hands, twirling them around each other dejectedly. "Who's gonna hold his hand now?" She asked him despondently.

Sage sighed before getting to her feet. "Rose, how about we go inside?"

She eventually complied, following behind her with Kel in tow as Sage entered the sitting room where Trish and Chloe were watching torch lighting ceremony in their living room.

"Just look at this!" The announcer exclaimed, "Utterly incredibly scenes at the Olympic stadium. Eighty thousand athletes and spectators. They disappeared, they've come back! They've returned. They've reappeared. It's quite incredible. Bob, this will certainly-"

Rose cut in, "Eighty thousand people, so where's the Doctor? I need him."

Sage shook her head, slightly perturbed that she was still missing the obvious. "Rose, please.. Just shush and watch." She told her, as delicately as she could manage before turning back to the TV.

Rose stared at her for a moment, looking slightly hurt and confused before complying.

As she did, she saw the Torch Bearer stumble his way out, looking worse for wear.

"But hang on, the Torch Bearer seems to be in a bit of trouble. We did see a flash of lightning earlier that seemed to strike him. Maybe he's injured. He's definitely in trouble."

The Torch Bear than collapses completely, seemingly passed out with the torch still in his hand.

"Does this mean that the Olympic dream is dead?" As the announcer states this, another man, the Doctor snatches the torch from him before bouncing down the runway.

"Doctor." Rose said in awe.

"There's a mystery man. He's picked up the flame. We've no idea who he is. He's carrying the flame. Yes, he's carrying the flame and no one wants to stop him. It's more than a flame now, Bob. It's more than heat and light. It's hope, and it's courage-"

"And it's love." Sage said along with him.

The spotlight follows the Doctor as he runs up the red carpet to the lower cauldron. He cheers from joy before lighting the flame.

The two walked back out into the now darkened street in companionable silence before Rose spoke up. "So, you knew the Doctor would be there to carry the Olympic torch?"

Sage chuckled slightly, "That's what I was trying to tell you, it's exactly what he drew, himself with the torch. You even said it yourself, all the drawings came to life." She told her, her mind going back to the smiling Doctor on the television, "Even the Doctor's."

The glee of the night was infectious but it soon faded when Sage started to feel a less than pleasant tingling sensation spread throughout her body. She stopped in her tracks, Rose almost right after her.

"I think something's wrong, I don't feel right." Sage told her, wrapping her arms around herself in a vain attempt to ease the growing pins and needles like feeling that was rapidly making it to her stomach.

"What is it?" Rose asked, clearly very concerned.

"I don't really know, I feel... tingly, like when your foot and hand would fall asleep… but, it's everywhere."

Rose's concern melted away as she stared down at the gold coloring dancing on Sage's fingertips, disappointment taking its place on her face. "You're fine, Sage. This is what happens when you're about to pop off."

"Pop off?" Sage replied, looking at her incredulously.

"Remember the Doctor said you bounce all the place? That's what he meant, you come and go from the golden-y stuff. You're about to visit a different time."

"Oh.. okay." Sage managed to reply. She had followed her gaze to her hands and her eyes didn't leave the golden light as it traveled down her arms and legs and just like that, she was gone.


End file.
